"About time you got up," Jan said as he and Viconia were sitting at the table in the middle of the inn. Dynaheir and Minsc had joined them, though the two were engrossed in their game of chess, so Jan had to find another victim... a victim with white hair and pointed ears, as it turned out.

"I wish I'd stayed in bed," Viconia said as she popped another piece of omelet in her mouth and chewed it briefly. It had been quite a struggle to get the cooks to bake an omelet for her at noon, but several persuasive arguments (one flail-strike to a pot, another to a pan) had convinced them to see it her way.

"Oh, you can't stay in bed all day," Jan said. "What will the bedspirits think? They need a break, know? Why they don't like stinky Drow lying on their house all day without washing once in a while."

"Do you wish your nose to be broken, gnome?" Viconia snarled. "And for your information, I wash up once every day at least."

"Do you use water?" Jan said. "I mean, you could use water. My uncle kicked the bucket after using pumice."

"How is pumice dangerous?" Viconia said.

"Oh, it's not, unless you dive into a pool of the stuff from the roof," Jan snickered. "Poor uncle Albert. But the stones did scrape his skin clean, though."

"Gnome, do me a favor," Viconia muttered as she leant back on her chair.

"What is it? Need to borrow some money? Need someone killed? What do you want me to do for you?" Jan asked cheerfully.

"Die," Viconia said calmly.

"I died once. Didn't like it, so I came back," Jan smiled.

"Pity," Viconia muttered.

"MINSC WINS AGAIN! WOOHOO! Did you see that Boo?" Minsc smiled.

"Yes," Dynaheir sighed. "Yes, I saw it too..."

Viconia could see that Dynaheir was getting frustrated. She knew that Dynaheir was the better player, but Minsc's haphazard and illogical strategies at playing chess had her so baffled she couldn't put up any kind of defense against it.

"Shall we play another game, Minsc?" Dynaheir said. "Something less... hard?"

"Oh, horseshoe toss!" Minsc smiled. "I can throw them very far."

"Further than I can, I'm afraid," Dynaheir sighed.

"Cribbage! Oh, Minsc likes cribbage!" Minsc smiled friendly.

"Thou winst all the time too," Dynaheir started to look sadder and sadder.

"Oh, oh, oh, Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey!" Minsc smiled.

"We ended up having to go to the temple last time it was my turn, remember?" Dynaheir shook her head in sadness.

"Oh! Hamster Grooming!"

"Argh, why dost thou have to be good at everything!"

Minsc fell quiet for a bit. "Ah, I know, what's my name?"

"Minsc, of course," Dynaheir said.

"Aha, see!" Minsc smiled. "You are good at guess-games! You guessed my name!"

Dynaheir stared at her large friend for a while, then shook her head. "Thou dost never cease to amaze me, Minsc."

A flurry of feet sounded after the door to the inn opened and shut with a heavy slam. A few seconds later, the head of a familiar looking halfling popped up from under the table : Mazzy Fentan. She was just able too look over the table.

"Awww," Viconia cooed, "look at those puppy-dog eyes. Quick, shovel some food in her mouth..."

"Quiet, Drow!" Mazzy snarled. "I am not in the mood."

"What doth trouble thee, halfling?" Dynaheir asked. "Something seems wrong with thee."

"You could say that!" Mazzy spoke. "I need to speak with your leader."

"Well," Jan said. "Laska isn't really a leader. She just says what we have to do and where we have to go, but otherwise we're completely free."

Mazzy gaped at the gnome for a moment, but there shook her head and shrugged. "Figures. That elf is never around when you need her, but when you really don't want her around, she's in your face all the time."

"Perhaps we could help you?" Minsc asked.

"Yes..." Viconia smiled. "To an early grave!"

"Oh, don't mind Viconia," Minsc said. "She's only joking."

"No, I'm not," Viconia said. "Shall I get my hammer?"

"Hush!" Mazzy shouted. "I don't have time for this! My sister has been poisoned and I need help trying to figure out what happened."

"Well," Viconia said. "Since you're so good and virtuous, why don't you run along and solve it by your virtue alone..."

"You are so infuriating, Drow!" Mazzy snarled. "I just came to seek your help. The guards in this town are as effective as a wet newspaper."

"So, what happened?" Dynaheir asked.

"Yes, and whose butt do we get to kick!" Minsc raved as he drew his sword.

"It all started when my sister's fiancee bought her a love potion, the fool," Mazzy sighed. "No doubt there was something clandestine inside that potion, and now she is in a catatonic state, close to death! I came here for help of your party, though it pains me to ask of you. I... I just can't take the risk of the culprits fleeing with any possible cures for the poison!"

"Poison?" Jan said. "I remember the time aunt Hilda tried to poison my rich uncle George for the inheritance. She tried to inject whipped cream into his bloodstream every day, but instead of killing him, it actually ended up extending his life, go figure, he ended up actually outliving Hilda, so he collected on her inheritance instead... Too bad those griffins didn't take bribes, though. They were complaining about their bloodsugar level for a while after eating him, though."

"Are you going to HELP ME OR NOT?!" Mazzy snarled.

"Viconia?" Dynaheir asked.

"What?!" Mazzy said in horror. "Do you mean to say that the Drow will decide?"

"Of course," Dynaheir said. "Laska always leaves Viconia in charge when she's not around or indisposed."

"Wish you were a little bit nicer to me now, weren't you?" Viconia grinned like a shark.

"Viconia," Mazzy said. "I implore you, my sister's life is..."

"Oh, shut up, we'll help you already," Viconia sighed. "It's either that or listen to Jan speak..."

"TELL MINSC WHY YOU BAD WICKED GNOME HAVE POISONED TINY PALADIN'S SISTER PALA!" Minsc shouted into the gnome Wallace's face after picking him up by the lapels and hoisting him into the air.

"But... but... but... but..." the elderly gnomish commoner stammered. "But... but... but... but... but... but... but... but... but... but... but... but... but... but... but..."

"That's the first time I have ever heard a gnome that's tongue-tied," Viconia said.

"Ah, but there have been tongue-tied gnomes before," Jan broke in while the midday sun reflected off his balding fore-head. "I fondly remember my cousin Tinky and his girlfriend Pinky. Now, those two were the cutest of love-birds. They used to make out all the time, and everywhere... sickeningly cute, really. But one day, disaster struck. They couldn't part anymore, you see? Turns out their tongues got tied together is a triple-slipknot... Well, no loss for them, since they were making out all the time anyway."

"What, no griffin this time?" Dynaheir asked.

"Nope," Jan said. "They're not into threesomes. Especially not after that episode with the sheep."

"Forget I asked," Dynaheir sighed. "Please... Forget I asked..."

"Wallace!" Mazzy shouted. "Vile fiend! False friend! How could you poison poor Pala!"

"Wha... Pala has been poisoned?" Wallace gulped as he glanced at the scowl on the mighty berserker's face.

"You know very well!" Mazzy snarled. "Your love potion will end up killing her, and if she does I will see to it that you will not live long enough to gloat about it!"

"B-but, I didn't make those love potions!" Wallace said. "I... I... bought them from Barl, the new priest at the temple of Waukeen!"

"I believe him," Viconia said. "He's too stupid and too frightened to cook something like this up. You can put him down, Minsc."

"Drat!" Mazzy said. "The temple is closed today. How will we investigate?"

"The little boy said this window leads into the room of Barl," Dynaheir said as they stood in an alley behind the garish looking temple dedicated to Waukeen. Minsc was still at the alley-mouth, carefully keeping watch for the others.

"But... this is against the law!" Mazzy said. "'Tis hardly virtuous!"

"You want to save your sister or not, Fentan?" Viconia said while quietly slipping into the darkened room. Taking a moment to help both Dynaheir and Mazzy inside, Viconia began her investigation of the room. In retrospect, it had been a wise decision to leave Jan with Minsc, for it was obvious from the snoring coming from the sleeping-quarters of the luxuriously decorated sanctuary that the culprit was nearby and sleath was required.

"Look," Viconia said as she pointed to a few empty bottles near the desk. Removing a cloth from the desk, she found a rather elaborate alchemy-set. Vials of green murky liquids were lined up, ready for use. A sample of poison sat in a small decanter. Taking the decanter, Viconia briefly sniffed at it. Crumpling up her dainty nose, Viconia quickly replaced it.

"Some spider poisons. Black Widow makes up the most of it," Viconia said. "He probably mixed in some snake-poisons too."

"Combined with magic," Dynaheir said. "I can sense it. Barl is probably a Talonite infiltrator, they're known to be poisoning young couples just for spite."

"It's quite an elaborate poison, but if he's a good poison-maker, he has the antidote on him," Viconia said, "lest the fool accidentally poisoned himself during the making."

The group made their way to the sleeping chambers, where Barl lay sleeping on his back, snoring quite loudly. The vial which undoubtedly contained the antidote hung around his neck.

"There is it," Viconia whispered. "It says 'Dr. Marvin Monroe's Universal Poison Antidote.' I've never heard of this Marvin Monroe, but this must be the cure."

"Right," Mazzy told Dynaheir. "Let us rouse the fiend and challenge him."

"I don't think that's necessary," Dynaheir said and pointed at Viconia. Already, the Drow stood over the sleeping Talonite, and drew something from her boot. The dagger glinted in the darkness, and with an ease that spoke of experience, the Drow clasped her hand over Barl's mouth, while she ran the dagger across the flesh of his throat. While the cry of protest from Mazzy resounded, Barl awoke with wide eyes, but only was able to gurgle weakly... the last thing he would see, were the cold eyes of Viconia as she took the dagger from his clothes, and proceeded to clean it on his pyjama's.

"You are a FOUL creature, Drow!" Mazzy snarled after Viconia made sure Barl was dead. "Killing an unarmed man in his sleep, oh, how brave, Drow..."

"What did you expect?" Viconia snarled in return. "If we would have knocked on the door, he would have known we were here for him. If we would have roused him, he would have known... and he would have all the time he needed to destroy the antidote, Fentan, and then there would have been no chance for saving your sister. Why, if it wouldn't have been for us, your moronic sense of virtue would have kept you waiting outside the temple till it opened properly. Heh, you might have even blamed Wallace and cut him down like a true paladin without a brain would have done. But as it stands," Viconia said, took the antidote and threw it at Mazzy, who deftly caught it, "you have your sister's life in your hands."

"She has a point, Mazzy," Dynaheir said. "Sometimes, it pays to use the unorthodox approach, dear halfling."

"Take your antidote," Viconia said as she passed by a flabbergasted halfling, "and be damned..."

"I shall... ponder your words," Mazzy said, treasuring the antidote in her hands. "I will stay here to alert the priests about the Talonite... thank you."

"We were happy to help," Dynaheir nodded, while Viconia just snorted and climbed out the window.

"So, we climbed into the window and..."

"Found Barl naked in bed with Mazzy's mom, you say?" Laska said.

"Yes," Viconia snickered. "Somehow, there were engrossed in a rather Drow-like technique. She was sitting...."

"Okay, this has gone far enough!" Keldorn broke in. "Viconia it is not nice to spread false rumors."

"I know," Viconia smiled. "But it's so much fun!"

"Amen, sister!" Imoen grinned and wrapped her arm around the shoulders of a most unwilling Drow. It was dinnertime and the entire party had gathered together to enjoy the meal Laska cooked, and to enjoy each other's company. "So, are we staying in Trademeet any longer?" In the background, Rose and Lise were playing with Khittix.

"Nah," Laska said. "We've got nothing left to do here. It's time to head home. I've missed the house... Imoen?"

All eyes turned to the pink-haired mage, who suddenly froze up. Her eyes turned eerily vacant, and she didn't appear to be hearing... or seeing anything. Her breath was shallow, her skin clammy... something was wrong.

"Soon," Irenicus said as he held the soul-gem containing Imoen's soul. "We will be restored. It is time to cut off Imoen from her core-being."

Magic collided with the soul-gem. The soft glowing gem was suddenly encased in black crystal.

"Soon, they will come," Irenicus told the empty room in the bowels of spellhold. "And... why do I keep talking to myself?!"

Imoen's face contorted, as if she was in great pain, but she didn't make any sound. Slowly, the little mage grew weak and slumped backwards into Viconia's waiting arms.

"It... hurts..." Imoen whimpered as her concerned friends gathered around her.

"Dammit!" Laska said. "What's happening to her."

"So.... empty...." Imoen gasped before losing consciousness and sliding into Viconia's comfortable embrace.